Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources are characterized by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm/microfiche, in digital format, or in published format.
Secondary Sources Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources, but also use them to argue a contention or persuade the reader to hold a certain opinion. Examples of secondary sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and books and articles that interpret, analyze, or review research works.
What are the difference between Primary Sources and Secondary Sources:
Secondary sources and reference books usually have a listing of primary sources located in the reference list, bibliography list or further reading sections.
Search by keyword for Primary Sources in the Main Catalog
You can search the University of Akron Library Catalog to find direct references to primary source material. Perform a keyword search for your topic and add one of the words below:
Archives
charters
correspondence
diaries
description and travel
documents
early works
interviews
letters
manuscripts
oratory
pamphlets
personal narratives
primary sources
sources
speeches
Audio Visual can be searched in the library catalog, by limiting your results to Audio Visual material. You can search for recordings of events, radio news events, speeches, and interviews. View Tip sheet on how to Search and perform limiters in the UA Library Catalog
Recommended Reference Tools in the Library's Collection
The Voices of an Era series utilizes primary document excerpts, with introductory and follow-up material, to illuminate the character and social history of particular historical periods.
17th - 18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers
Online access to the newspapers and news pamphlets gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757 - 1817), representing the largest single collection of 17th and 18th century English news media. 19th Century U.S. Newspapers Digital Archive
Digital archives of hundreds of 19th Century U.S. newspapers. Berg Fashion Library
Includes the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion, e-Book collection, image bank, reference resources, timelines, teacher resources, and links to online museum collections. In the First Person: An Index To Letters, Diaries, Oral Histories And Personal Narratives
In-depth indexing of oral histories in English from around the world. It allows for keyword searching and is updated regularly. North American Women's Letters and Diaries
This database covers the immediate experience of women in the form of diaries and letters. The collection also includes biographies and an annotated bibliography of the sources in the database.
Recommended Websites:
ALA Primary sources
The American Library Association clearly instructs what a primary source is, then gives instructions on how to locate and cite them. This a great starting place for any student getting started with primary sources. American Memory Timeline
A comprehensive look at America's history, through primary sources. Avalon Project
Avalon Project has digital documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government. We EuroDocs: Primary Historical Documents From Western Europe Produced at Brigham Young University. A collection of "Selected Transcriptions, Facsimiles and Translations," pertaining to Western Europe. Organized by country and then loosely by topic The History Net
This collection of resources highlights topics in United States and world history through eyewitness accounts, interviews, photographs, and other primary and secondary sources. Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology
This site contains an exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts and a virtual tour of ancient Egyptian cities. Library of Congress Digital Collections
The LOC presents special collections covering American History and Culture, Historic Newspapers, Sound Recordings, Prints and Photographs, and so much more. Library of Congress list of Primary Source Sets National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
NARA preserves historically valuable archives of the U.S. government, including documents, photographs, images, maps, audio clips, letters, speeches, and films. Perseus Project
Perseus is a growing collection of online resources for studying the ancient world. Materials include ancient texts and translations, maps, articles, essays, and images from over 70 museums around the world Project Gutenberg is a collection of over 20,000 free electronic books. Repositories of Primary Sources
This directory lists over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar.
Maps
16th- Early 20th Century Maps of Africa
Features digital copies of 113 antique maps of Africa and accompanying text dating from the mid 16th Century to the early 20th Century. American Memory: Maps*
Historical map collection from the Library of Congress. David Rumsey Map Collection
The David Rumsey Collection was started nearly 20 years ago, and focuses primarily on cartography of the Americas from the 18th and 19th centuries, but also has maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, school geographies, books, maritime charts, and a variety of separate maps, including pocket, wall, children's and manuscript. Historical Map Web Sites
Extensive list of links to historical map collections online. From the Perry-Castaneda Library. Medieval Maps and Images (from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook)*
Large selection of map images. Old Maps Online
Allows the user to search for online historical maps across numerous different collections via a geographical search. Search by typing a place-name or by clicking in the map window, and narrow by date. World Digital LIbrary: Maps
More than 300 map images, dating from 8000BC to 1949AD and representing at least 100 geographic areas.
Museums:
Archives of American Art
Includes "papers of artists, dealers, critics and curators, comprising thousands of letters, photographs, diaries, sketches, writings, rare published materials, and other documents." From the Smithsonian Institution. Art Project Google Cultural Institute brings together millions of artifacts from multiple partners, with the stories that bring them to life, in a virtual museum. ArtSTOR
A collection of over a million images, contributed by museums, individual photographers, scholars, special collections at libraries, and photo archiveDigital South Asia Library
The images fall into the broad categories of architecture, sculpture, terracotta, painting and numismatics. Discover Islamic Art
With support of the European Union, this "Biggest Islamic Art Museum of the World" contains digitized images from more than 40 museums in 14 countries. Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution offers access to primary sources and other resources on a wide variety of topics, including military and political history.
Table of Contents
Primary Sources
Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring, but primary sources can also include autobiographies, memoirs, and oral histories recorded later. Primary sources are characterized by their content, regardless of whether they are available in original format, in microfilm/microfiche, in digital format, or in published format.Secondary Sources
Secondary sources offer an analysis or a restatement of primary sources. They often attempt to describe or explain primary sources. Some secondary sources not only analyze primary sources, but also use them to argue a contention or persuade the reader to hold a certain opinion. Examples of secondary sources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, textbooks, and books and articles that interpret, analyze, or review research works.
What are the difference between Primary Sources and Secondary Sources:
Primary vs. Secondary Sources website from the Ithaca CollegePrimary vs. Secondary Sources website from Santiago Canyon College
Finding Primary Sources in the Library Catalog
Secondary sources and reference books usually have a listing of primary sources located in the reference list, bibliography list or further reading sections.Search by keyword for Primary Sources in the Main Catalog
You can search the University of Akron Library Catalog to find direct references to primary source material. Perform a keyword search for your topic and add one of the words below:
Audio Visual can be searched in the library catalog, by limiting your results to Audio Visual material. You can search for recordings of events, radio news events, speeches, and interviews. View Tip sheet on how to Search and perform limiters in the UA Library Catalog
Recommended Reference Tools in the Library's Collection
Voices of the era series
The Voices of an Era series utilizes primary document excerpts, with introductory and follow-up material, to illuminate the character and social history of particular historical periods.BR141 .D63 2011 Documents of the Christian Church
REF CB69 .D35 2009 Daily life through world history in primary documents
REF D5 M54 2014(4 volume set) Milestone Documents in world history
D5.5 M34 1998 Mammoth book of eye-witness history
D52 .W67 The world in ancient times: Primary Sources
D113 .R43 2014 Reading the Middle Ages: sources from Europe, Byzantium, and the Islamic world
D52 .W67 2005 The world in ancient times: primary sources and reference volume
DA150. A6 2014 Anglo Saxon chronicle : a history of England from Roman times to the Norman conquest (on-line in old English)
DA152 .J67 2014 Hengest, Gwrtheyrn and the chronology of post-Roman Britain
REF D114 .K6 volume 4 Middle Ages reference library
DS134.84 .E394 2013 Everyday Jewish life in imperial Russia: select documents, 1772 - 1914
E443 .R464 Remembering slavery : African Americans talk about their personal experiences of slavery and emancipation
E 484 .C58 2014 Civil War (1860-1965) :defining documents in American History
HQ 1238.5 .U6 S55 2014 Women's rights : documents decoded
HQ1410 .E15 2013 Early American women : a documentary history, 1600-1900
JK2281 .S495 2013 Presidential campaigns : documents decoded
On-line Titles
America in the world: a history in documents from the War with Spain to the War on TerrorCrusade of Frederick Barbarossa : the history of the expedition of the Emperor Frederick and related texts
Milestone documents of world religions: exploring traditions of faith through primary documents
The selected papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Volume VI, An awful hush, 1895 to 1906
Voices of Southeast Asia : essential readings from antiquity to the present
Recommended Databases:
17th - 18th Century Burney Collection NewspapersOnline access to the newspapers and news pamphlets gathered by the Reverend Charles Burney (1757 - 1817), representing the largest single collection of 17th and 18th century English news media.
19th Century U.S. Newspapers Digital Archive
Digital archives of hundreds of 19th Century U.S. newspapers.
Berg Fashion Library
Includes the Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion, e-Book collection, image bank, reference resources, timelines, teacher resources, and links to online museum collections.
In the First Person: An Index To Letters, Diaries, Oral Histories And Personal Narratives
In-depth indexing of oral histories in English from around the world. It allows for keyword searching and is updated regularly.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries
This database covers the immediate experience of women in the form of diaries and letters. The collection also includes biographies and an annotated bibliography of the sources in the database.
Recommended Websites:
ALA Primary sourcesThe American Library Association clearly instructs what a primary source is, then gives instructions on how to locate and cite them. This a great starting place for any student getting started with primary sources.
American Memory Timeline
A comprehensive look at America's history, through primary sources.
Avalon Project
Avalon Project has digital documents relevant to the fields of Law, History, Economics, Politics, Diplomacy and Government. We
EuroDocs: Primary Historical Documents From Western Europe Produced at Brigham Young University. A collection of "Selected Transcriptions, Facsimiles and Translations," pertaining to Western Europe. Organized by country and then loosely by topic
The History Net
This collection of resources highlights topics in United States and world history through eyewitness accounts, interviews, photographs, and other primary and secondary sources.
Institute of Egyptian Art & Archaeology
This site contains an exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts and a virtual tour of ancient Egyptian cities.
Library of Congress Digital Collections
The LOC presents special collections covering American History and Culture, Historic Newspapers, Sound Recordings, Prints and Photographs, and so much more.
Library of Congress list of Primary Source Sets
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
NARA preserves historically valuable archives of the U.S. government, including documents, photographs, images, maps, audio clips, letters, speeches, and films.
Perseus Project
Perseus is a growing collection of online resources for studying the ancient world. Materials include ancient texts and translations, maps, articles, essays, and images from over 70 museums around the world
Project Gutenberg is a collection of over 20,000 free electronic books.
Repositories of Primary Sources
This directory lists over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar.
Maps
16th- Early 20th Century Maps of AfricaFeatures digital copies of 113 antique maps of Africa and accompanying text dating from the mid 16th Century to the early 20th Century.
American Memory: Maps*
Historical map collection from the Library of Congress.
David Rumsey Map Collection
The David Rumsey Collection was started nearly 20 years ago, and focuses primarily on cartography of the Americas from the 18th and 19th centuries, but also has maps of the World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The collection includes atlases, globes, school geographies, books, maritime charts, and a variety of separate maps, including pocket, wall, children's and manuscript.
Historical Map Web Sites
Extensive list of links to historical map collections online. From the Perry-Castaneda Library.
Medieval Maps and Images (from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook)*
Large selection of map images.
Old Maps Online
Allows the user to search for online historical maps across numerous different collections via a geographical search. Search by typing a place-name or by clicking in the map window, and narrow by date.
World Digital LIbrary: Maps
More than 300 map images, dating from 8000BC to 1949AD and representing at least 100 geographic areas.
Museums:
Archives of American ArtIncludes "papers of artists, dealers, critics and curators, comprising thousands of letters, photographs, diaries, sketches, writings, rare published materials, and other documents." From the Smithsonian Institution.
Art Project
Google Cultural Institute brings together millions of artifacts from multiple partners, with the stories that bring them to life, in a virtual museum.
ArtSTOR
A collection of over a million images, contributed by museums, individual photographers, scholars, special collections at libraries, and photo archiveDigital South Asia Library
The images fall into the broad categories of architecture, sculpture, terracotta, painting and numismatics.
Discover Islamic Art
With support of the European Union, this "Biggest Islamic Art Museum of the World" contains digitized images from more than 40 museums in 14 countries.
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution offers access to primary sources and other resources on a wide variety of topics, including military and political history.
Document Your Sources
The Smucker Learning Center's documents and informationStyle Guides in the Library's collection:
Ready Reference LB2369 .G53 2009 MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Ready Reference BF76.7 .P83 2010 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association